The Grassroots Education Movement (GEM) to Defend Public Education educates, organizes and mobilizes educators, parents, students and our communities against the corporate and government policies that underfund, undermine and privatize our public school system. GEM advocates both within and outside the UFT for the equality and quality of public education services and the rights of school workers.

Friday, August 7, 2009

GEM received a copy of a letter that a concerned Bronx parent wrote to the Chancellor back in July.

We continue to be dumbfounded as to why letters like this have to be written at all in a public system of education.

Joel Klein is not asleep at the helm. He knows what's going on in Seton Falls elementary school and all the other schools that are being forced to accommodate the new charters. In the old days, these schools had to find their own space. Not anymore.

Obviously the disparity is there by design. If the new charters get to have refurbished facilities, smaller class size, more equipment, supplies and books, and longer hours for learning that's great. When parents want to send their kids to these kinds of schools, the essence of what constitutes public education changes. The goal is privatization, not what's good for a generation of kids. The kids who get into charters get trained up early on a disparate two-tier system, and the ones who remain in district schools are never going to be in the favored tier.

The question is: when will tax-paying parents, teachers, and concerned citizens make enough noise to force the politicians and their appointees to change course. Letters like this should be widely circulated, and many others written when they need to be.

— jw

July 2nd, 2009

Dear Mr. Klein:

I am writing to you as the concerned parent of a student in the Seton Falls Elementary School - P.S. 111X. It has come to my attention that the Charter School for Better Learning has requested an additional 5 classrooms (inside P.S. 111X) for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. After numerous discussions with other concerned parents, the concensus is that the approval of this request would be detrimental to the educational progress our children have been making in recent years.

— during the 2006-07 school year they began using our gymnasium for their physical education classes.

— during the 2007-08 school year their students began receiving breakfast in our cafeteria.

— during the 2008-09 school year they were given 3 classrooms so that the school could expand from 1st through 5th grades to kindergarten through 5th grades.

The Seton Falls Elementary School - P.S. 111X:

— first grade students were eating lunch, during the first 2 weeks of the 2008-09 school year, at 1:00pm so that the 3 Charter school classes could be fed in their earlier time slot. After parents voiced their concerns, the first graders were given back their 12:00pm lunch period.

— students receive academic intervention in the hallways. One area is set up outside the only passageway leading to and from the auditorium.

— on any given day the auditorium is where:

a) the music teacher conducts his daily schedule of classes.b) school general assemblies and special events are held.c) the Charter school holds special events.d) outside entities use the space for events.

— the teachers have found innovative ways to make the hallway space look and feel like "mini classrooms" — but in the end — they are still teaching in hallways.

A few questions for you:

1. If there were 5 unoccupied classrooms in P.S. 111X, wouldn't they be used for the students receiving academic intervention and therapy in the hallways? Wouldn't that allow these students to receive services, with dignity, in the privacy of a classroom (with walls and doors)?

3. If our children's class sizes rise — will they be able to continue the progressive strides they have made on standardized tests over recent years?

4. At its inception, the Charter school was well aware of the space constrictions and temporary nature of the trailers they requested to use. Wouldn't energy be better spent petitioning the DOE and or private foundations/corporations to assist them in finding a permanent facility conducive to their expansion needs and goals; while at the same time not encroach on an established school?

5. Will next years request be for an entire floor?

6. Will they continue to request space and services until they have taken over the whole building and Seton Falls Elementary School - P.S. 111X no longer exists?

7. Where will our children be educated then? Will they be bussed to faraway schools to overcrowd classrooms elsewhere?

Since 2006, prior to the start of each school year, the Charter School for Better Learning has received approval of all requests made to the DOE — without opposition from the parents of P.S. 111X students.

The time has now come for our voices to be heard.

We feel that all children should have as many opportunities as possible to achieve their educational goals, but not at the sacrifice of others with similar ambitions. To this end, we feel that our children have given up enough in the name of educational hospitality. The Seton Falls Elementary School is our community school and our children deserve full use of the building. We are determined to oppose the loss of anymore space inside of our school.

Please help us in realizing the educational dreams and goals we have for our children; while assisting the Charter School for Better Learning in securing a permanent facility, with adequate space, so that they may achieve theirs.

Your consideration and assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.

GEM EVENTS CALENDAR

-April film showings for "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" are filling up, dates to be publicized soon. The official film opening will take place in May and will be announced soon. To be put on the list for a copy of the film or to sign up for a house showing or a public screening email: gemnyc@gmail.com

GEM Produces: The Inconvenient Truth About Waiting for Superman - The Trailer

School Leadership Team Response to the Educational Impact Statement A Brief Summary A 70 year history of serving neighborhood children The sectioning off of prestige programs into small schools in 2002 -3 Severe over-crowding and deplorable learning conditions as a result of small school expansion in 2003-4 and 2004-5 Restructuring into....

The 11 schools selected for transformation are:Automotive High SchoolBread & Roses Integrated Arts High SchoolBrooklyn School for Global StudiesChelsea Career and Technical Education High SchoolCobble Hill School of American StudiesFlushing High SchoolFranklin Delano Roosevelt High SchoolLong Island City High SchoolQueens Vocational and Technical High SchoolUnity Center for Urban TechnologiesWilliam E. Grady Career and Technical Education High School

The additional 23 schools on the state’s “persistently lowest achieving” list that will most likely be phased out and replaced with new schools are:August Martin High SchoolBeach Channel High SchoolBoys and Girls High SchoolChristopher Columbus High SchoolFordham Leadership Academy for Business and TechnologyGrace Dodge Career and Technical Education High SchoolGrover Cleveland High SchoolHigh School of Graphic Communication ArtsJamaica High SchoolJane Addams High School for Academics and CareersJohn Adams High SchoolJohn Dewey High SchoolJohn F. Kennedy High SchoolMetropolitan Corporate AcademyMonroe Academy for Business/LawNewtown High SchoolNorman Thomas High SchoolPaul Robeson High SchoolPublic School 065 Mother Hale AcademyRichmond Hill High SchoolSheepshead Bay High SchoolWashington Irving High SchoolW.H. Maxwell CTE High School

Additional schools that the city says it will attempt to close again next year, after having been prevented from doing so because of a lawsuit from the N.A.A.C.P. and the teachers’ union this spring:Frederick Douglass Academy III (middle school)Global Enterprise High SchoolMonroe Academy for Business and LawSchool for Community Research and LearningNew Day AcademyAcademy of Collaborative EducationKappa IIAcademy of Environmental Science High SchoolMiddle School for Academic and Social ExcellencePublic School 332Business, Computer Applications and Entrepreneurship High SchoolChoir Academy of Harlem High School

The great Chicago video from Labor Beat

Arne Duncan's "Chicago Plan, as former teacher and editor of Substance News George Schmidt explains, is the template for a national strategy to dismantle public education. Through revealing footage and comments from Chicago teachers, this video shows the resistance that has been growing among teachers and community organizations." 28 min.

Charter School Leaflet

Tracking the Charter School Debates

Links to charter schools resources:

Olson Online:They don't serve the common good. They benefit some students --usually the more advantaged-- at the expense of others. Bite the bullet: get rid of school choice:More pros and cons for charters and choice

"Shut down the mayor, not public schools!"

Turn stickies into labels

Video of the May 14, 2009 Rally

GEM on WBAI — more than once!

Listen to Norm Scott and others discuss the effect of Bloomberg-Klein on NYC teachers. The Reassignment Centers were a main topic of this WBAI radio broadcast (go to June 11, 2009).

GEM spokesperson Angel Gonzalez talks about the May 14 rally and the campaign to stop school closings (phase-outs) and the imposition of charter school privatization.Go to Pseudo-Intellectualism and click http://archive.wbai.org/Find WBAI Evening News Friday, May 8, 2009 6:00 pm News, and move time indicator to 6 minutes.

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Harlem Charter Schools Serve Fewer High Needs Kids

Wrapped up my piece about Harlem charter schools serving fewer high-needs students than the area's zoned schools and thought you might like to see it.

Consequences of School Privatization

This paper on consequences of school privatization is pretty great. Read especially the section on the Edison Schools where it was mandated for 90% of the students to watch commercials in the guise of current events.